1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a grounding strap for shoes for the purpose of preventing the build-up of static electricity on personnel who work in areas where there exists a potential hazard in the event the individual contacts a static sensitive object or comes into contact with a source of electrical energy of damaging proportions, and in one aspect to a laminate comprising narrow strip of static dissipative material substantially covering a strip of malleable conductive metallic material, and an adhesive coating for connecting the same to the shoe of an individual.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The value or benefits to be gained by providing personnel working in assembly areas of sensitive electronic parts or working to repair equipment in an area where there is the danger of shock is known and there have been many inventors and companies providing products to offer the protection necessary. These prior products however have left the personnel exposed to harm in the event the individual were to touch a source of electrical power which is hazardous in any event. However, with a dissipative shoe strap rather than a conductive shoe strap such as the prior grounding straps, an example of which is U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,226, the strap restricts possible harm should the wearer's foot come in contact with a source of electrical power unless there is an unprotected edge of the conductive layer exposed. It is important that the grounding strap provide the wearer at all times with the semiconductive static dissipative surface between an object at a different potential than the body, and the body.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shoe strap which will not have an exposed conductive surface but will have a static dissipative layer between the conductive layer and the exterior or the exposed surface of the strap.